Dear Brother
by C.L. Lab
Summary: "J-Jason?" he whispered, everything in his vision swirling except for the face of the smirking boy. "Long time no-see, Dickie-Bird," In one moment, everything Robin had come to accept as true came crashing down. In one moment, everything changes.
1. Out of the Ordinary

**I know, I know, I am a horrible person for not updating Electiones Nos yet. I am so sorry. But I swear I'm working on it, and I could give you a bunch of excuses about Band Camp and vacation but the point is I haven't updated yet but I'm planning to. Soon.  
**

**And I really have no business starting another story in another fandom but I've lately been on a Teen Titans kick and this idea just hit me and I had to write it down. I tried to avoid it, to put it off, but I couldn't any longer.**

**I have never written a Teen Titans fanfic, so this may be horrible and OOC and I apologize. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.**

* * *

It had been a perfectly normal day.

Robin had been the first to wake up-like always-and trained exactly an hour and a half before showering and strolling into the kitchen where Raven was sitting,sipping a mug of tea like she did every morning. Starfire floated in, beaming and giving the "greetings of the good morning" to her fellow titans, giving Robin an extra smile. Cyborg bounded in shortly after, already preparing to make waffles. Beastboy was the last up, yawning as he walked in, blinking sleepily before engaging in the daily Meat vs. Tofu battle with Cyborg. Raven had rolled her eyes and went back to her room with a muttered "idiots" while Starfire hummed to herself, talking about her plans to fix the "pudding of friendship" that night. Making a mental reminder to order takeout, Robin had resumed training.

Again, everything was perfectly normal, everything going exactly as it always did. Nothing out of the ordinary, not even a hint of anything besides bland normalcy. Maybe this eerily perfect daily layout should have made Robin look back and think, triggered something in his brain. But that would have been considered frighteningly paranoid for even Robin.

So when the alarm rang throughout the tower and they all rushed towards Robin who simply grimaced and said "Slade", none of them questioned it. Slade was routine, a-begrudgingly- normal aspect of the Titans lives. Absolutely nothing was out of the ordinary.

Or so they assumed.

* * *

Robin kicked down the door to the abandoned warehouse (Jump City seemed to have an abundance of those, almost as many as Gotham), the Titans right beside him as he walked cautiously in.

"Robin! How nice of you to join me!" Robin whirled around, crouching down into a battle stance as he looked up to where Slade was standing on the unfinished ceiling beams.

"What are you doing here?" Robin spat. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Starfire floating beside him with her eyes already glowing green, Raven's hands encased in black energy, Cyborg already aiming his canon, and a green growling wolf in place of Beastboy.

"Now Robin, I haven't done anything to you on this particular evening. No need to get so_ touchy_," Slade drawled.

"Yet," Robin hissed. Slade tilted his head, the shadows of the beams covering half of his body.

"I don't plan on causing any harm to your little friends, if you'll comply with my condition,"

"And what condition would that be?" Cyborg said, seeming irritated with the lack of action and the surplus of talking taking place.

The temperature seemed to drop, the air grow frigid as Slade's eyes narrowed.

"Come with me Robin." Slade said it so smooth and nonchalant that Robin had to pause a second, torn between bursting into hysterical laughter and asking Slade if he had finally lost the last shred of sanity he had been clinging to. But he decided to go the logical route and find out as much information as possible, ignoring his friends facial expressions that were somewhere between shock and rage. This was Slade, there was always a catch, a plan behind the plan, a twisted reason behind every twisted action.

"Why?" Robin said, keeping his voice clear of any emotion.

"Why do I want you back as a faithful servant? Why Robin, I do miss having you as an apprentice, I did grow quite fond of having you around," Slade said mockingly. Robin clenched his fists.

"No, why do you think I would ever go back to you?"

"Is the threat of your city's safety not enough?" Slade asked.

"You're always a threat to the city," Robin replied darkly. Slade walked back, deeper into the shadows now.

"Ah yes, I was afraid you'd be difficult about this. So I brought an even better reason, just in case," he reached over, his hand disappearing into pure darkness for a moment before yanking it back-he was now holding onto a dark mass-_a body_ Robin realized- before jumping to the ground all in one smooth motion. He threw the motionless figure to the ground, emitting gasps from all the Titans.

"The Red X?" Starfire gasped. Robin looked in horror as his enemy remained still on the ground, blood seeping through his ripped suit.

"See, I know you better than you do yourself Robin. And I know exactly what, or, to be more exact, _who_ will make you agree to anything and everything I say," Slade said.

"Wait, why would Robin risk everything for _Red X_?" Beastboy was apparently back in human form and wasted no time in sharing his opinion. "I mean, yeah, he's not gonna let him die, cause Robin doesn't let people die, but what makes you think he'd give up his life for someone he actually kinda hates?" Beastboy had managed to say everything Robin hadn't. Why did Slade think he would obey his every command for Red X? Sure, he wasn't going to let Slade kill him, but he wasn't going to compromise the team for him. _It's official. The time with Trigon officially drove Slade from insane-evil-genius to just insane_ Robin thought.

"Oh, it appears you aren't aware!" Slade seemed almost gleeful. Frankly, the thought weirded Robin out. "Well-" he bent down to the now feebly moving body of Red X-" I guess I'll just have to enlighten you," he grabbed Red X's shoulder and pulled him up to his knees, yanking off his mask.

Instantly, Robin fell to his knees in front of the half-conscious boy, the concerned voices of his friends fading into background buzz as he reached out as if to touch the bruised and bloodied face of the boy not even a foot away from him.

"J-Jason?" he whispered, everything in his vision swirling except for the face of the smirking boy.

"Long time no-see, Dickie-Bird,"

* * *

**That did not go as well as I intended. I kind of hate most of it, actually, but I'm going to publish it anyway and hope you enjoyed it. Please review and tell me what you honestly thought! **


	2. Unexpected

**I can't believe I actually got reviews and alerts for this story, I'm flattered! Thank you so much! I hope this chapter isn't disappointing, it wasn't what I wanted to write exactly but it's necessary to the plot. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: Do I really have to tell you I don't own the Teen Titans? **

* * *

Robin was usually a rational person. He relied on logical thinking to get him out of tough situations.

Which is why it was a surprise to him when his first thought was _Oh my God Jason's a zombie_.

He quickly berated himself-that was stupid, Jason wasn't a zombie. Zombies didn't exist. But then what other explanation was there for his dead brother to be kneeling on the floor, not three feet away, bloody and bruised but _alive_ which was impossible because he was _dead_ and Robin knew he was dead because he saw his body get buried six feet into the ground and-

"What? After all this time and you still can't think of anything to say to your own brother?" All thoughts of clones and robots left Robin's head as soon as Jason opened his mouth. Only Jason could be in such a dangerous, life-threatening situation and still make getting under his skin his number one priority.

"Brother?"

"He's your _brother_?"

"Robin, what the hell is he talking about?"

Robin could hear the rest of the Titans pestering him, but he paid no attention. Right now was not the time, not when he had his baby brother whose death still made his gut twist when he thought about the brutality of it all right there, he was right _there_ in front of him; couldn't they see he didn't have time for them right now?

"How?" Robin croaked out, his hands on the cold floor, supporting him.

"How am I alive?" Jason raised an eyebrow. "Ra's al Ghu. Lazarus Pit. Connect the dots," Robin swore, his brain now nothing more than a muddle of colorful images-Jason first in the Robin suit, Jason grinning cockily, Jason visiting him in Jump City-all swirling around the face of his brother. His alive brother.

"Um, Robin, dude, what is going on?" Robin stood to see Beastboy hopping from foot to foot nervously. Starfire was floating, a confused expression on her pretty features, while Cyborg seemed stuck between wanting to know what was happening and wanting to just blow the whole place up and go home. Only Raven seemed somewhat normal, maintaining her cool composure. But once glance at her eyes revealed emotions Robin rarely saw there-fear and disbelief.

_Raven had been inside his mind_ he realized with a start as she made eye contact with him. She had seen Jason-only glimpses of him, but she had still seen him-and his funeral, had seen his body lowered into the ground. She was also figuring out exactly what had happened with the Lazarus Pit, and her expression told Robin that it was very very bad.

"So what, you just come back to life-not even bothering to stop by and say 'hey, just to let you know, I'm not dead anymore'-steal the suit-the very dangerous deadly suit _that's not yours_-and then become a thief? What were you-" Robin's voice faded as Jason looked up at him. He took a second to look at Jason, to just really look at his brother, at a face he never thought he'd see outside of a picture frame again. His inky black hair was matted down with blood, except for a white patch that stubbornly fluffed up. Nasty bruises in various shades of yellow and green blossomed across his jaw like sickly flowers, disappearing below the collar of his suit. A cut above his eyebrow was bleeding profusely, thick blood dripping into his eye and causing him to blink rapidly every few seconds. A thin scar ran along the outer edge of his face, barley visible. But his eyes were the same-a shocking blue, filled with a mixture of his natural cockiness and idiotic bravery. The same idiotic bravery that had gotten him killed. It was like a punch to the gut.

"Helloo! Robin! Are you in there?" Robin blinked to see Beastboy frantically waving his hand in front of Robin's face. He quickly hit it away.

"Knock it off Beastboy," he said.

"Wanna explain to us exactly what's goin' on?" Cyborg glared at him, his cannon still aimed at Slade. _Slade_. This entire time he had remained silent, just watching the interaction between Robin and Jason. Calculating.

Without taking his eyes off of Slade, Robin answered his friends. "He's my brother,"

"Friend Robin, you are saying the Red X is your brother?"

"_Dude_!"

"What the hell?"

"And I was worried you wouldn't recognize him," Slade chuckled as he kneeled back down, grabbing a fistful of Jason's hair. Jason gritted his teeth, eyes scrunching up in pain. Instantly, Robin felt an overwhelming sense of big-brother-protectiveness. It didn't matter that his "little brother" was only two years younger and two inches taller than Robin. It didn't matter that said little brother was supposed to be dead right now. It didn't matter that Robin still didn't fully understand why he wasn't. It didn't matter that he had stolen from Robin and had been living in the same city, fighting Robin for years now without telling him who he was. Nothing mattered except for the blue-eyed boy whom Robin hadn't been able to save the first time. And he wasn't about to let that happen again.

"Let go of him," Robin took to battle stance again as he glared at Slade, who seemed rather pleased with the whole thing.

"Now Robin, you aren't forgetting our previous conditions, right? I will let young Jason here-" he yanked Jason's hair, causing him to let out a gasp-"if-and-only if-you agree to join me. Nothing less, nothing more," out of the corner of his eye he could see Raven's hands starting to glow with energy again. Slade shook a finger at her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. If you make one move against me, then I'll be forced to end this meeting on a rather tragic note," his hand found it's way around Jason's throat, slowly tightening. Robin felt his insides clench as Jason's eyes starting widening, his breath now coming out in deep gasps with too much time between them. _No._ No, he refused to loose his brother again. He would not be the cause of his second death, would not go through the pain and agony of laying eyes on his motionless body for a second time.

"Dude, what are you doing?" he realized he'd been subconsciously stepping forwards towards Slade, his hands hanging uselessly against his side.

"Very good Robin, very good," said Slade.

"Dick! Don't-don't do it!" Jason rasped.

"Quiet!" Slade snarled at him, his grip tightening.

"Let him go," Robin said. Before Slade could answer, he was suddenly flung backwards into the wall. Robin whirled around to see Raven, her hood up and her hands out in front of her.

"He was focusing on you, not paying any attention to us," she said to Robin in a monotone voice.

"Dickie bird, you idiot," Robin fell to his knees beside Jason's coughing form. He tilted his head up, peering at Robin through blood-covered hair.

"You have," Robin sighed, "a lot of explaining to do," Jason grinned.

"Yeah, I expected that," suddenly his body was overtook by harsh coughs, sounding as if he were trying to hack up his organs. He propped himself back up on shaky hands, grimacing at the floor now covered in blood. Blood. The floor was covered in blood. Blood he had coughed up. The floor was covered in blood his brother had coughed up. Coughing up blood was not a good sign. Coughing up blood was bad. Very very bad.

"Well shit," Jason whispered, then promptly collapsed onto the ground.

"Jason! Jason!" Robin turned him over and grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him slightly.

"Oh, is the baby robin hurt? Pity," Slade was now standing in the beams again, leering down at them. "We'll meet again Robin. This isn't the last of it. In due time of course, in due time," and suddenly he was gone. Perhaps he had jumped out the window, or had developed the powers to disappear. Perhaps he was invisible or a magician-in-training. But it didn't matter because Jason was still on the ground, motionless, blood still seeping through his uniform.

"Jason, please-"Robin started, but was roughly pushed aside. Raven took his place, running her glowing hands over his brother. She remained expressionless for a few minutes, then looked back at Robin.

"He'll live. We just need to get him back to the tower," she informed him in a monotone. He nodded numbly. Was this all actually happening, or had he eaten some of that suspicious-looking blue pudding in the fridge and was now hallucinating? Was this all one big dream? Or was he going crazy?

"Anyone who is not touching my cloak in the next two seconds will be forced to find their own way home," Robin quickly reached for the edge of Raven's cloak, deciding to question the state of his sanity later. Starfire held onto Robin's arm, giving him a confused yet comforting smile. Coyborg gently grabbed the hood of Raven's cloak, narrowing his eyes at Robin.

"You'll explain all this at the Tower," he said. That wasn't a question, it was a command. And frankly, Robin was too tired and confused to argue, choosing instead to nod weakly. As he got one last glimpse of the warehouse before it all whirled away, he heard a shriek a few feet away.

"Dude! Raven, hold up! Aw _come on_!"

* * *

**Did you hate it? Love it? Please review and tell me!**


	3. Memories

**I can not believe how many people have reviewed this story so far, seriously, I love each and everyone of you. **

**I'm sorry it took so long, band camp started up which means no life outside of practice for me except on weekends. This chapter is more of a filler chapter (sorry!) as the majority of it is flashbacks. But I hope you enjoy it! Please review!**

**Disclaimer: When I publish a book one day I will go and write fanfiction for it just so I can sit here and be like "actually, I do own this". Sadly, this particular story is not the case.**

* * *

As team leader, Robin was use to being the one giving orders. Not that he _couldn't_ follow orders (after all, Bruce liked to give them an awful lot) but he just preferred to be one the other end of the situation.

Which was why it was a bit of a shock when Raven teleported them to the medical bay, used her powers to place Jason on the table, then promptly shoved Robin and Starfire out the door with a "get out," slamming the door shut with a scowl.

Robin didn't really like the idea of leaving his brother-his brother who was suppose to be dead but wasn't and was in the process of dying again-with two people who didn't even know him, didn't know what he'd been through, hell, what Robin had been through because of him. They didn't know how precious his life was, how important he was. They were two of Robin's closest friends-after the whole "My-Demon-father-tried-to-take-over-the-Earth-using-me-as-a-portal-but-you-went-into-hell-to-save-me" thing, he'd even say Raven was his best friend. But that still didn't mean he wanted them to be alone with a barely alive Jason.

Which is how he ended up laying on the floor outside the door, his ear pressed to the door to try and hear what was going on. That plan was deemed unsuccessful after he was flung back against the wall, his ears still ringing with the sound of Raven's ever-pleasant voice.

"ROBIN, I CAN HEAR YOU BREATHING! I SWEAR I WILL DROP YOU INSIDE NEVERMORE AND LEAVE YOU THERE WITH HAPPY IF YOU DO NOT LEAVE AND QUIT DISTRACTING US!" he rubbed the back of his head, scowling.

"You really need to meditate!" he yelled back, instantly regretting it. Through the door he could hear a deep sigh.

"Sorry, I know. But I'm a little preoccupied at the moment," upon hearing the sarcasm biting into her words he decided not to try her patience again-after all, she hadn't meditated all day, and she was currently trying to heal his brother without explanation. He figured she could be a little erm, _testy_ with him.

He sat down on the couch, elbows on his knees and head in his hands. How could this happen? How could Jason, the same Jason who he'd watch get buried, be alive? How was that even possible? _It's Ra's Al Ghul; anything's possible_ he thought grimly.

"Robin?" he looked up as a hand was place on his arm. Starfire sat beside him, smiling sadly.

"Hey, Star, look, I'm so sorry about tonight, I didn't know that any of this would happen, the last thing I wanted is for any of you to think-"

"Robin," Starfire said softly, cutting him off. "I will be honest. I do not understand what is happening between you and the Red X. Or should I say Jason now?" she paused. "I do not understand what is happening between you and Jason whom you are now referring to as your brother. The only one who does seem to understand a little is friend Raven, but she always understands. I know that friend Cyborg wants answers, and I admit, I do too," she raised her hand as Robin opened his mouth to speak. "However, it would be more productive to wait until we are joined by the rest of our friends before you explain, yes?" the smile reappeared on her face. "And Robin, please do not feel as though we are forcing you to tell us everything. We only wish to know what is going on between you and Jason, and even then do not feel as though we are doing the invading of your privacy. We are only concerned for our friend," with this she squeezed Robin's arm gently and stood up.

"I shall give you the 'thinking time' like I often do friend Raven, yes? I feel as though you need it," she smiled, floating off towards her room.

Robin groaned, holding his head in his hands again. After Jason's death, he had shut away all of the memories he had of him-good and bad- in his mind, never letting them stay there for too long. But now that Jason showed up again it was as if a dam broke and they all came flooding out while he was powerless to keep them from playing through his head.

* * *

_"What do you mean you got a new Robin?" Dick sputtered into the phone. How could Bruce even think of getting a new Robin when he was still Robin? _

_Bruce sighed. "I didn't exactly _get_ him, Richard, he refused to leave," Dick blinked. Refused to leave? This kid had forced Bruce, _Bruce Wayne_, the Batman, into making him Robin? He let out a laugh, forgetting that he was still supposed to be upset._

_"Excuse me? You mean to tell me that some kid bullied you into letting him become your side-kick?" from the silence on the other end as Dick laughed, he could assume that Bruce was wearing his I Am Not Amused face. "Bruce, seriously? Where did you get this kid from?" _

_"I found him trying to steal my tires," if it were anyone but Bruce, Richard would have labeled the tone awkward and somewhat sheepish. But this was Bruce Wayne, the Batman. He didn't_ do_ awkward or sheepish. _

_"Is he suicidal or something?" _

_"Look, Dick, he's not had it easy. His parents are dead-his father left when he was younger, and his mother died of an overdose. I'm all he has now," an uncomfortably stuff silence as Dick absorbed all that Bruce had just told him._

_"I want to meet him," _

* * *

_"So you're the new Robin," the kid raised his chin in the air, scowling._

_"My name's Jason. Jason Todd," he said with an arrogance Richard hadn't expected. He grinned. _

_"Yeah, but now you're more than that. You're Robin. Do you understand?" Jason raised an eyebrow._

_"I get to wear scaly panties and pixie boots?" Dick couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped him. _

_"Yeah, you should talk to Bruce about getting a new costume-I don't think that version's really your style," Dick suddenly took on a serious tone, all amusement gone. "Being Robin is more than just 'Batman's sidekick'. It's a symbol. It's someone for everyone to look up to. It's a symbol of hope for Gotham," he leaned down slightly; Jason was about three inches shorter than him. "It's a big responsibility. Are you sure you're up for the job?" Jason snorted. _

_"Please, Dickie, I was _born_ for this. Pretty soon the talk won't be about the Robin in Jump City," _

_"I don't doubt it,"_

* * *

_"Nice place," Richard whirled around, tensing, already in battle stance. He then rolled his eyes, his muscles going back to normal. _

_"Why do you insist on sneaking up on me like that? Can you not simply state your presence like a normal human being?" Jason grinned, standing dangerously close to the edge of the tower's roof. _

_"Hey, not my fault your senses seem to be failing you, Dickie bird," Richard's lip twitched in an almost-smile. _

_"What are you doing here?" _

_"Do I need an excuse to visit my big brother?" Jason said, half-mocking and half-serious. Dick smiled. _

_"No. No, you don't," _

* * *

_"Bruce is such a dick!" Richard sighed, used to Jason's unannounced arrivals by now. _

_"What happened?" Jason paced back and forth, tugging at his hair. _

_"Nothing I do is ever good enough for him! Nothing! I'm _never_ good enough for him! I'll never be good enough for him!" Richard walked towards a distressed-looking Jason, now taller than Dick and with sharper features than the little cocky kid he'd first met. _

_"Jaybird, you know that's not true," he soothed. "Bruce cares about you, even though he doesn't always show it. He cares a lot, Jason, he does. He-" _

_"You don't get it!" Jason stopped pacing, his voice now impossibly shrill and his eyes glistening with un-shed tears. He laughed bitterly, a slightly manic expression on his face. "How could you, when you're the Golden Boy? When you're Richard Grayson, the perfect Robin? The first Robin, the first son, the only one he'll ever love? How could you possibly understand how it feels to be second best when you're always first?" Jason suddenly fell to the ground, sobbing and hugging his knees to his chest. Dick tentatively sat next to him, pushing his hair out of his blotchy red face._

_"He does this to everyone, Jaybird, hell, he does it to me. He cares about you, he loves you Jason, you're his son. He just always doesn't know how to show it," he whispered. Jason hiccuped, looking up at him with red eyes. _

_"We should start a 'Our Father Loves Us But Doesn't Know How to Show It So Instead He Acts Like a Snobby Bastard' club," he sniffled. Richard smiled. _

_"I'll be president," _

* * *

_"You're just too hot-headed, Jason, you need to slow down and think. You have to focus, otherwise Bruce is going to do something drastic," Jason whirled around to face him. _

_"Like what? Fire me? He might as well hurry up and get it over with, I know he's just dying to try and get you back!"_

_"Not this again Jason! God, can't you just drop this for once and quit attacking me?" Richard snapped. _

_"Oh, I'm sorry, Dickie got his feelings hurt. I better hurry up and apologize before he runs off and tattles to daddy bats," Jason sneered. _

_"Shut up! I'm so sick of this whole 'I'm the unloved kid' thing! I'm so _sick_ of every time we hang out arguing because you have this grudge against me when I didn't do anything to you!" _

_"Of course you didn't do anything Dick! You never do! That's the thing! You never do anything wrong to anybody, ever in Bruce's eyes, when all I can do right is be the screw-up kid!" _

_"Stop blaming Bruce for everything! You should be a little more grateful, God knows he's a better father to you than your biological dad ever was!" Richard froze as soon as the words escaped his mouth, his eyes widening as Jason's narrowed. "Oh shit, I swear I didn't mean to bring anything like that up Jay, shit I didn't mean that, I was just angry and yelling at you-" Jason sneered, nearing the edge of the roof. _

_"No need to apologize, Dickie bird," he said in an eerily calm voice. "Besides, it's not like you can do anything wrong, is it?" _

_"Jason! No, let me explain, I'm so so sorry that was so uncalled for and-" Richard stammered as Jason swan-dived off the roof._

* * *

_"Hello?" Richard held the phone up to his ear while using the other to search for his tube of hair gel. _

_"Master Richard?" _

_"Alfred! Hey! Nice to hear from you. Hey, do you think you could do me a favor? A few days ago Jason visited and we got into an argument and-"_

_"Master Richard-"_

_"-I said some things I shouldn't have said. It was really uncalled for, and I feel horrible about the whole thing, and I know Jaybird will probably drag himself up here sooner or later so we can have a big awkward 'I'm sorry let's make up and go catch criminals' fest, but I didn't really want to wait till then-"_

_"Master Richard, I-"_

_"-so do you think that you could tell him that I'm sorry? Like, really really sorry, and I understand if he doesn't want to talk to me right now but I just can't stand the thought of him going another day without realizing how sorry I am and-"_

_"Master Richard, I regret having to inform you that-" _

_"-it's just really important to me, I mean, we're brothers, you know? And brothers stick together, so I would just really appreciate it if you could-"_

_"Master Richard!" Dick stopped rambling. _

_"What, Alfred?" he heard a sigh from the other end._

_"Master Richard, it's Master Jason," Dick clenched the edge of the sink, his heart racing. _

_"What about Jason? Is he hurt? Is he okay? Did he leave? Did he runaway?" an eerily long pause. Then Alfred replied, his voice wavering with emotion. _

_"Master Richard, Master Jason is dead," that was the last thing Dick heard before he hit the floor._

* * *

_"First time I've seen him in a suit," Bruce didn't look up as Dick approached him, his eyes still staring at the casket. Richard couldn't look too long, he just couldn't, or he'd end up a sobbing mess on the floor because that was his baby brother dammit, why was he closed up in a box? _

_"Bruce," he said quietly. Finally-finally-Bruce looked up at him. Richard was taken aback by the emptiness in his eyes. "It's not your fault," Bruce sighed deeply. _

_"Yes it is Dick. It always is and it always will be,"_

* * *

_"Why aren't you laughing anymore, huh? Is it not so funny to you anymore, is that what it is?" Dick slammed the crowbar back into the man's shoulder. "Is my baby brother's death not-"hit to the left leg-"so-" hit to the right elbow-"funny anymore? !" he hit him in the face, watching with morbid fascination as blood started pooling out of his nose. _

_"ANSWER ME!" he screamed, the crowbar coming down across his collar bone. "ANSWER ME! Do you think you have the option of sitting there in silence? Do you think I'm going to give mercy to you, after you BEAT MY BROTHER TO DEATH AND BLEW HIM UP? !" the crowbar seemed to have a mind of it's own now, coming down on it's own accord. The man started to laugh: an insane laugh, an all too familiar laugh that set Dick over the edge (although, truth be told, he had probably toppled off long ago). _

_"Baby Robin falls far from the tree, eh?" The man rolled around, grinning a bloody smile up at Dick. "What would the Bats think about all this, my dear boy?" Richard gritted his teeth and slammed the crowbar straight into his face. _

_"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" _

_"Robin stop!" he growled as all-too-familiar arms grabbed him from behind, wrenching the crowbar from his grasp and dragging him away. He kicked the air and tried to shake out of the tight grip. _

_"LET ME GO!" he screamed. He threw himself on the floor, sobbing and shaking. "Just let me go," he repeated, tears streaming down his face. _

_"Robin," Batman said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Robin, this isn't you," _

_"Then what is? Letting my brother's murderer go unpunished? Because I don't see you doing anything! I don't see you avenging him! I don't see you doing anything but staring at that damn case all day!" he shoved Bruce in the chest weakly. _

_"Robin, it is not up to us to deal out punishments as we see fit," Dick looked up, still crying, into the face of Batman. All at once he fell into his chest, sobbing and clutching at his cape. _

_Batman wrapped his cloak around him while the Joker watched, coughing up blood and laughing._

* * *

Robin's eyes flashed open, his fingers clutching at the couch to make sure he was still there in Titan's Tower and not in some grimy warehouse with half his mind intact as he beat the Joker senseless. That last one had been all too real.

"All of them were too real," he muttered, quickly wiping his face to be sure no tears had escaped.

"Robin," his head snapped up to see Raven and Cyborg standing there, Starfire floating idly behind. Raven had been growing out her hair slightly, and now it was all pulled back, a few lavender strands sticking to her face. Her sleeves were yanked back and his stomach turned as he realized her hands were tinted red from blood. Jason's blood. His brother's blood.

Cyborg was looking at him with a grim expression, while Starfire was simply giving him the same small smile from before.

"So?" he asked Raven. She sighed.

"He'll live. A few broken ribs, bruising, some broken fingers, a concussion, knife wounds, and blood loss. But I healed the majority of it,"

"The majority?" he heard himself asking.

"Yes. We found out one of the knifes skimmed his lung, hence the coughing up blood. But I was able to fix it for the most part. He just needs a lot of rest," she said. Robin stood up.

"Great, thanks guys," he said, starting to walk past the three of them.

"Wait, where exactly are you going?" Cyborg grabbed his arm. Robin wrenched it away, glaring.

"To go check on him,"

"Robin, I just said he needed a lot of rest. Something tells me a visit from you won't include fluffing his pillows and tucking him in," Raven snarked. "Besides, he's asleep. Do you really want to wake him? Don't you think he needs the rest?" Great, now she was guilt-tripping him. But it wouldn't work, no way! He was Richard Grayson, ex-sidekick to Batman, the first Robin, leader of the Teen Titans! He would not be guilt-tripped! He would not! He-

"Damn it," Robin muttered, throwing himself back on the couch. "Fine, I'll wait until he wakes up. But then I am going to visit him," he said in his Leader Voice (if he was being honest with himself, it was more than just Raven's guilt-tripping that caused him to stay there. It was also the fact that he hands had been glowing black and her eyes tinted with just the tiniest bit of red that reminded him that she was not well-rested and rather short-tempered at the moment, and he wasn't going to test her to see what exactly she would do had he tried to leave anyway).

"Great! That means you have plenty of time to tell us what the hell is going on," Cyborg said.

"Guys, maybe right now isn't-" Robin was cut off as a fifth presence entered the room. A green soaking wet fifth presence, to be exact.

"I was not aware it was doing the storming of the thunder," Starfire remarked right as a stroke of lightning shone through the window.

"I hate you all," Beast Boy said, giving an especially Glare of Hurt to an expressionless Raven before stomping off towards the kitchen.

"Back to before, Robin," Cyborg said after they all took a moment of silence. "Why can't you just tell us now? Do you think it's going to get easier to tell us later or somethin'? Because it's not, it's only gonna get harder. And we need to know Robin. We need to know why a sworn enemy of ours is currently resting in our medical bay and calling you his brother," Robin sighed (he seemed to be doing that an awful lot this night) then stood up, starting to pace in front of the couch.

"You're right, fine," he looked up to where he had previously been sitting. Cyborg was sitting beside a still damp Beastboy, while Starfire was floating just above the cushion, tilting her head to the side. Raven's hood had been drawn up, her eyes focused solely on Robin. _No going back now_ he thought grimly.

"I'll explain. I'll explain everything,"

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it! Please please review! **


	4. Explanations

**So I could rattle off a long list of excuses about why I haven't updated this fic, but I don't feel like listing them and I doubt you really care about all the little details. So, here is it (finally). **

**Thank you so much to all who've reviewed so far, and I hope at least one person is still reading this story!**

* * *

Robin had thought many times before about telling the Titans his identity. The thought would strike him at his most vulnerable moments, when he wasn't analyzing files or training. When his guard was down and his emotions were loose (or at least as loose as they could be). When he was talking about the latest electronics just released in Japan with Cyborg. Playing video games with Beast Boy. Explaining the most ordinary Earthly thing to Starfire and watch the amazement on her face. Sitting on the roof with Raven in comfortable silence.

All of these moments were bursting with friendship and trust, meant to give him the warm fuzzy feeling of being completely and utterly content. But every time he felt a tug of guilt at these people-his best friends-that so easily trusted him with their most precious secrets, and he couldn't even tell them who he was. Each time, the feeling was almost enough to just rip off his mask and blurt out his name. Almost.

But now it wasn't an option, there was no going back this time. He had no other choice.

"My name is," he cleared his throat-"Richard. Richard, or Dick, Grayson. My parents and I were circus acrobats. We were known as the "Flying Graysons"," through his mask he stared straight at the wall ahead-had that chip in the paint always been there? He'd have to fix that-unwilling to make eye contact with any of the team. If he did, he wasn't sure he could continue.

"One performance went...it went wrong. Two criminals sabotaged it-the trapeze wires that my parents were swinging from-it, it snapped. We didn't use a net and they fell to their...they died," he paused again. _I will not get emotional right now. Now is not the time to get emotional. Now is the time for facts. _He took a deep breathe.

"Batman took me in after that. He trained me. I became Robin," his voice became clearer as he finally looked at the team. Starfire-sweet, emotional Starfire-looked to be on the verge of tears. Beastboy looked particularly distressed-probably thinking about his own parents. Raven sat, a blank but oddly soothing expression on her face. Cyborg just nodded at him. No sympathetic looks, no coddling glances. For that he was grateful.

They knew he had skimmed over facts-who exactly Batman was (which wasn't his business to tell), why Batman had started training him in the first place, why the gangsters had killed his parents in the first place. They knew this was just the skeleton of his past, just the first thin layer. But they didn't say anything.

"I was Robin in Gotham for a few years. Things were good. But then Batman and I started clashing. Little arguments turned into big arguments and suddenly we were fighting over everything. So I left and came to Jump City. Where I formed the Teen Titans," they all had small smiles on their faces as he said this.

"But one day, Batman found a kid stealing tires off of the Batmobile. He-"

"Woah woah woah! Wait a second," Beastboy cut him off, ignoring the glares he got from the other three. "A kid was stealing tires off the Batmobile? Was he crazy?" at this Robin bit back a grin.

"Yeah, actually he was," he admitted, fondness barely detectable in his voice. "But he was an orphan-his mom had overdosed and his dad, well, let's just say he was completely and utterly alone. Not a good thing for a kid on the streets of Gotham,"

"That's the understatement of the century," Cyborg said, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly. Which is why after a few, ah, _mishaps_, Jason finally convinced Batman to train him to become Gotham's new Robin. Batman-"

"Wait wait wait! Hold up!" Beast Boy cut him off again, this time the other's glares less "that's-rude-stop-that" and more "I-will-drown-you-in-battery-acid-if-you-don't-shut-up-right-this-second" (well, at least Raven's was).

"So you were okay with the Batman taking in this random kid off the streets and _replacing you_? Dude! That's just not right!"

"I'll admit, I did feel that way at first," Robin confessed. "But that was until I actually met Jason. And I couldn't help but instantly liking the kid-he was cocky and rude and sarcastic and the complete opposite of me in every way. He _needed_ Robin, and Batman needed him. I couldn't deny him something he needed so desperately," he closed his eyes momentarily, collecting his thoughts.

"Jason coming into the picture changed everything. I began to call ho-_Batman_ more often. Jason came for visits to the tower-always without warning of course," he said, the corners of his lips twisting up slightly. "For a while, everything was good. Great. Until it wasn't," Robin looked back to the almost unnervingly steady gazes of his teammates.

"Batman and Jason were chasing the Joker," Starfire let out a slight squeak while Beast Boy gulped. Raven closed her eyes briefly, as if trying to compose her thoughts. Even Cyborg's expression twisted into a grimace. _Huh. Seems the Clown Prince of Crime's fame had spread from the territory of Gotham. _

"It was supposed to be routine, just a normal locate-and-chase that ended with them throwing the Joker back in Arkham. And it was, until they got separated," Robin swallowed, his fingers clenching tight around his wrist. He stared at a spot right above Raven's hood with alarming intent. "The Joker found Jason. Tied him up. In a warehouse. Beat him. Crowbar-with a crowbar," his throat seemed to be closing in on itself, his words coming out in clipped phrases that were awkwardly strung together. "Batman was able to locate him, but-" he took a shaky breath here because_ I will not dissolve into an emotional wreck in front of the team, dammit! _"-but he, he was too late. The Joker had rigged explosives-the warehouse exploded literally in the second Batman got there. Jason didn't make it. Alive. Obviously,"

"But," and this time Beast Boy's voice was quieter, not the loud declarations from before and somehow that made the familiar ache in Robin's chest that he had ignored for so long hurt even worse-" but if he died, then how is he asleep in the med bay right now?"

Robin looked at his team-Starfire with tears streaming down her face and her lower lip wobbling_ (she had always been too empathetic for her own good)_, Cyborg with a disturbed expression on his face (possibly regretting even asking about the whole thing), Beast Boy with a confused and just generally upset look in his eyes (and he needed to stop that right now because he should be cracking lame jokes and getting whacked on the head by Raven, and him not doing those things made this whole thing feel all the more real), and Raven, hood still up and a strange expression in her eyes. Not exactly sad or sympathetic, but somewhat comforting and understanding; as if she knew more about this whole situation than anyone (and she probably did-she always did).

Robin glanced at the clock on the wall. _Forty-seven minutes. _

"I'll tell you when I find out," he said, turning and walking away without looking back, his path headed straight towards the room containing his not-so-dead-little-brother.

* * *

**So I don't feel like this chapter was on the same standards as the previous ones. It just felt awkward and kind of forced, at least to me. I'd love to hear your opinion on it though, good or bad or whatever!**

**So please please review! (and I'll try and update sooner next time, okay?) **


	5. Emotions

**No, I'm not dead. Or stranded on a deserted island. Or going off to ninja training where there's no wifi. Stuff just comes up, you know? And I am truly sorry for how long the wait has been for this, and I sincerely hope there's still people out there who want to read it. I'm still in shock over how many people have favorited, followed, and reviewed it, and I thank each and every one of you.**

**In my defense, I'm currently doped up on medicine for my sinus infection/allergies/possible strep, and it is almost 2 a.m., so I will most likely be severely editing this chapter over the course of the next couple of days. I just wanted to go ahead and put something out there.**

**So, without further ado, I present to you chapter five!**

**Disclaimer: Why would anyone think I owned any of this?**

* * *

When Dick first met Jason, he had been a short skinny kid with a round baby face. Over the course of a few years, he had grown taller than Richard himself, had muscled up but still kept his lean form, and his face had transformed from sweet and young to sharp angles and jutting lines. The only thing that had remained the same was his eyes: a shocking blue, always giving away his current mood to those who knew how to read him.

But when Jason was asleep, it was like he had been aged down at least three years. Gone was the hard set of his jaw, the angry wrinkle in his forehead that seemed like a permanent fixture. He seemed peaceful.

This was how Richard found him in the med bay, an IV hooked up to his arm and the steady rhythm of the heart monitor in the background. What remained of the severely damaged Red X suit was lying on a chair across from him (although he noted the absence of the utility belt-Raven had probably stored it safely out of Jason's reach), his brother now dressed in a hospital gown they had pulled from who knows where, the covers gently placed around him. With all the blood and grime cleaned off of his body, Jason's injuries stood out even more against his skin, pale from blood loss. The bruising had only seemed to darken, and ugly red splotches were scattered all over his arms. Dick's hands clenched into fists as he surveyed the (visible) injuries of his little brother.

_ Your fault _the voice in his head whispered as he sat in the chair nearest to Jason. "No," he whispered in protest, but the voice was not listening. _Your brother. Your responsibility. Slade is _your_ enemy, not his. The suit was _yours_, not his. He's the younger one; he's the one who's supposed to be taken care of. And so far you seem to have done a pretty horrible job of that- _

"Ugh," Robin snapped back to the present as Jason groaned, lifting a hand to rub his eyes. He slowly opened them, surveying the room.

"You're in the med bay at Titans Tower," Jason started as Dick started speaking; he apparently hadn't sensed his older brother's presence yet. "We- the Titans and I- brought you back here. Raven and Cyborg handled your injuries. Raven said she took care of the most severe ones. You just need a lot of rest." he delivered all of this in an emotionless tone, trying not to let his voice crack. Jason sat there, listening (or at least pretending to) what his brother was saying.

"Great. When can I leave?" Dick was almost positive he would have fallen out of his chair at Jason's words if he hadn't immediately gripped the sides. Jason, on the other hand, looked perfectly normal, as if they were discussing the weather or Alfred's lemon squares.

"What," it wasn't a question, more so Richard just croaking out a word as he continued to stare at his brother in disbelief. Jason rolled his eyes and huffed.

"I _said_, when. Can. I. Leave?" he said slowly, as if that would make his words make anymore sense.

"Excuse me?" Robin stood up. "_Excuse me_? Okay, let me get this straight: you died-no, get _murdered_-at the age of fifteen. Then you somehow get brought back to life, but instead of telling your family, your first thought is "Gee, I should go steal an extremely dangerous stealth suit from my older brother, who's still under the impression that I'm dead and is tormented by the fact that his last words to me were when we were in the middle of a stupid fight and he'll never get the chance to say how sorry he is. And then you decide that not only should you steal the suit, but you should become a _criminal, _fighting myself and the Titans upon numerous occasions but never give away your identity. Never even hint at the fact that you're my not-dead brother or even phone the manor for a "Hi Alfred, Jason here, just kidding about that whole dying thing!" Richard was pacing now, his voice rising in volume with each word. Jason's eyes were wide, his mouth staying firmly shut (for once).

"Then you somehow get yourself kidnapped by _Slade_, get your identity revealed after two _years_ of me thinking you're still _dead_, almost die _again_, get saved by my teammates who didn't know what the hell was going on, and then you have the nerve to ask me when you can leave?! What the actual fuck?!" Robin stopped, standing still and just staring at Jason, who was equally as motionless, his eyes looking like they were fixing to roll out of his head. They stayed like that for a few seconds, the air thick with tension as both boys didn't dare make a move, waiting on the other to say something first. Jason cleared his throat.

"You have to put money in Alfred's swear jar," he said quietly.

"How much was it for the f-word?" Dick replied.

"Five dollars. Not that you would ever know, it's not like you hardly payed anything at all," Jason replied. Dick grinned.

"There was basically no point in you getting an allowance; it all went back to the jar anyways," Jason snorted.

"Yeah, because you were such a tattle-tell. Ridiculous, a seventeen year old tattling on his brother for cussing," Jason said, shaking his head. They stayed like that for a few minutes, letting the quiet atmosphere wrap around them.

"Why didn't you tell me you were alive Jason?" his younger brother suddenly became very interested in the bed sheet, picking at the hem. Jason shrugged.

"I was-angry," he said so quietly that at first Richard wasn't sure he had spoken at all. "Partly because of the Lazarus Pit-it tends to make you kinda crazy-and partly because I was just angry. At Bruce. At you," it was as if a knife made of ice had been shoved into Robin's chest and been twisted deeper and deeper.

"Why? Is it still because of the argument? Because I am so sorry about that, before I knew what had happened I told Alfred to tell you how sorry I was and-"

"Are you really still stuck on that stupid argument?" Jason lifted his eyebrows in disbelief. "No, it's not about that, I could care less about that. That's just one of many fights we had, the only special thing about it was that it was the last one we had before I got blown up," he said as nonchalantly as he could manage.

"Well if it's not about that, then why are you mad?" Jason lifted his head, the strange patch of white hair flopping in front of his face. His eyes were narrowed, but Richard could see the hurt in them.

"Because the Joker is alive. Because Bruce is still playing that cat-and-mouse game with that psycho when he knows how it ends. Because you're here in your precious little city in your precious little tower with your precious little Titans stopping stupid wannabe-criminals and getting all the praise in the world and not affected in the least by the fact that I was murdered, not letting the fact that my murderer is walking around Gotham, still wreaking havoc wherever he goes, stop you from living your perfectly perfect life with your alien girlfriend and your sparkly city. Because neither you or Bruce let the fact that I was _kidnapped_ and _beaten_ and then _blown up_ put a dent in your lives, instead it's like I never even existed! Like you never even cared!" Jason suddenly stopped, as if he had said more than he meant to. He grimaced, struggling to sit up and swing his legs over the side of the bed with a muttered "fuck this bullshit".

"Jason stop," Robin quickly walked over to him and gently pushed him back in the bed. "Stop. Sit still. If you get yourself hurt even worse Raven will literally mount my head on the wall," his brother refused to meet his eyes as he was pushed back into the mattress. "Look at me. Jason, _look at me_." Robin almost took a step back at the amount of sheer pain in his brother's eyes.

"Jason, do you really think your death didn't affect Bruce and I? That it still doesn't affect Bruce and I? That Bruce didn't immediately try and kill the Joker, only stopped by Superman? That I went crazy and would have beat him to death if someone hadn't held me back? That Bruce doesn't have a damn shrine with your uniform in it in the Bat Cave that he broods over at least five times a day? That Bruce isn't constantly at your graveside, making sure the grass is perfectly trimmed and the tombstone shined? That if I don't talk to him for a while he freaks and won't rest until he gets me to answer my phone? That your room still hasn't been touched by anyone, not even Alfred, after two years? That I still think about you from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep? That I don't agonize myself over how I could have prevented all of this, how I should have been there, how it should have been me instead? Do you really think that Bruce will ever get over the death of his son? That I could ever get over the death of my baby brother?" At this point Richard was choking on his words, his eyes watering. Jason's were suspiciously glassy, his fingers still picking out the thread in the sheet hem.

"I-" Jason stopped, looking away. "No. I don't know," he said, looking back up at his brother. "I've been angry for so long, and that's not just something I can let go because you give me this speech on all the bad things you've went through because of my death. That's one of the only things I've had for the past two years, and I just can't all of a sudden drop it because my big brother tells me I should and pretend everything's okay because it's _not_." Jason looked uncomfortable with what he had just said, but kept his gaze steady on Dick. Robin sighed.

"And I'm not expecting you to all of a sudden pretend like it is all okay, because it definitely is not. But you need to know that I love you, and the only bad thing about finding out you're alive is that I didn't know sooner," Dick suddenly adopted a more commanding tone. "And you're not leaving this tower. At least not now. I think you can see from my point of view how that's reasonable."

"Yeah," Jason mumbled. "Fine, I'll stay." Richard smiled.

"Great! Glad to know we're on the same page. You can start your extended visit at Titans Tower by telling me how you're alive."

* * *

**Was that OOC? I feel like that was OOC. Whatever. It's 3 a.m. and I'm sick.**

**Thank you so much for taking your time to read this, and please please review and tell me what you think! Side note I also love getting PMs, if the mood ever strikes you to send one. Just saying. **

**So, I will try and update soon, and I hope this chapter wasn't too disappointing! Don't forget to press that review button!**


End file.
